Nursery opening hours may seem like one of the simplest details to publish online. Yet they are often surprisingly difficult for parents to understand.
A website might say that the nursery is open “Monday to Friday”, without giving daily times. Another may advertise “extended hours” but not explain when they begin or whether they cost extra. Some settings show their opening hours in several places, with different information on each page.
For parents, these details are not minor. A nursery that closes at 5.30pm may be suitable for one family but impossible for another. The availability of early drop-offs, funded sessions and year-round care can determine whether a parent can return to work or manage the school run for another child.
Clear opening-hour information helps families decide whether a setting is practical before making an enquiry. It can also reduce repetitive questions for nursery staff and prevent misunderstandings after a place has been offered.
This guide explains how nurseries can present their opening hours clearly, accurately and helpfully online.
Put the main opening hours somewhere prominent
Parents should not need to download a prospectus or search through several pages to discover when the nursery opens and closes.
The main hours should appear on the nursery homepage, contact page and profile on any childcare directory. They may also be included in the website footer, particularly if the footer appears on every page.
Use complete times rather than general descriptions. For example:
“We are open from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.”
This is clearer than:
“Open weekdays with flexible hours.”
If the nursery has different hours on different days, show each day separately. Do not expect parents to infer that Friday has an earlier closing time from a note elsewhere on the website.
| Day | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 7.30am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 7.30am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 7.30am–6pm |
| Thursday | 7.30am–6pm |
| Friday | 7.30am–5.30pm |
Include the full range of hours during which children can attend, not simply the times when somebody is present in the building. If staff arrive at 7am but the earliest child session begins at 7.30am, the published opening time should normally be 7.30am.
Explain whether the nursery is open all year
Daily opening times only answer part of the question. Parents also need to know how many weeks of the year the nursery operates.
State clearly whether the setting is:
- Open throughout the year
- Open during school terms only
- Open for a specified number of weeks
- Closed during particular school holidays
A nursery described as “open all year” will still usually close on certain days. Explain whether this excludes bank holidays, the period between Christmas and New Year, staff training days or another annual closure.
For example:
“The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year. We close on bank holidays and for one week between Christmas and New Year. Planned closure dates are shared with families in advance.”
If you operate during term time, avoid assuming that every parent knows which term dates you follow. Link to the relevant calendar or publish the nursery’s actual opening and closure dates.
School term dates can differ between local authorities, academies and private schools. If your nursery follows the dates of a particular school or council, identify it.
Separate opening hours from session times
A nursery may be open from 7.30am until 6pm without allowing parents to choose any arrival and collection time within that period.
Many settings offer defined sessions, such as:
- Morning session: 8am–1pm
- Afternoon session: 1pm–6pm
- School day: 9am–3pm
- Full day: 8am–6pm
- Early start: 7.30am–8am
Show these separately from the nursery’s general opening hours. This helps parents understand what they can actually book.
If arrival is flexible within a session, explain the boundaries. For example, parents may be able to drop off at any time between 7.30am and 9.30am, while collections may be arranged from 4pm onwards.
If children are expected to arrive by a particular time, give a brief reason. The setting may begin group activities, serve breakfast or leave for an outing after that point.
Be equally clear about collection. Parents should know whether a “full day” ends at 5.30pm or 6pm and whether care beyond the booked collection time must be arranged in advance.
Show how funded hours fit into the day
Opening hours and funded hours are not necessarily the same thing. A nursery might be open for ten hours a day but offer funded childcare only during particular sessions.
A statement such as “30 hours accepted” does not tell parents when those hours can be used. Explain whether funded places are available:
- During specific morning or afternoon sessions
- Across full nursery days
- During school terms only
- As a stretched offer across more weeks
- Subject to a minimum attendance pattern
You might write:
“We are open from 7.30am to 6pm. Funded hours can normally be used between 9am and 3pm during term time. Families who need longer days can pay for care outside those times. Funded places and session patterns are subject to availability.”
If the nursery stretches annual funding across the year, show parents what this means in an ordinary week. Avoid presenting stretched hours as an additional entitlement.
Our guides to 15 hours funded childcare, 30 hours funded childcare and funded childcare from nine months explain the main entitlements. The nursery website should then describe how the relevant funding can be used at that particular setting.
Make additional hours and charges clear
If parents can book care before or after a standard session, describe it accurately. Terms such as “breakfast club”, “early start” and “late stay” can mean different things at different nurseries.
State:
- The times covered by the additional session
- Whether it must be booked in advance
- Whether places are limited
- What the session includes
- How much it costs
For example:
“An early-start session is available from 7.30am to 8am for £6, including breakfast. It must be booked in advance and is subject to staffing availability.”
If a charge applies when a parent collects their child late, include this in the fee information and parent agreement. The website does not necessarily need to lead with the penalty, but families should be able to find the policy before accepting a place.
Explain what parents should do if an emergency delays them. Clear instructions are more useful than a warning alone. Include the telephone number they should call and state that an authorised adult may need to collect the child.
Describe any differences between rooms or age groups
Not every part of a nursery always operates to the same timetable. Baby places may be offered across full days, while preschool children may attend shorter term-time sessions. A nursery attached to a school may have different arrangements from its day-care provision.
If the hours differ by room or age, show the distinction clearly:
| Provision | Operating times |
|---|---|
| Baby and toddler rooms | 7.30am–6pm, 51 weeks a year |
| Preschool room | 8am–6pm, 51 weeks a year |
| Funded term-time sessions | 9am–3pm, Monday to Friday |
Do not publish one broad set of hours if it gives a misleading impression of what is available for a particular child.
The same applies when different sites operate under one nursery brand. Each location should have its own address, telephone number, opening hours, closure arrangements and session information.
Explain flexibility without making vague promises
Flexible childcare can be extremely valuable, particularly for parents who work shifts or have changing schedules. However, the word “flexible” should not be used without explaining what the nursery can accommodate.
Does flexibility mean that parents can:
- Choose different combinations of fixed sessions?
- Change attendance days each week?
- Book occasional additional sessions?
- Use shorter days?
- Arrange early drop-offs or late collections?
State how much notice is required and whether requests depend on available places. If a child must attend a minimum number of sessions, include that information too.
A clear description could say:
“Families can choose any combination of our morning, afternoon or full-day sessions, subject to availability. Regular booked days remain the same each week. Additional sessions can sometimes be arranged with at least seven days’ notice.”
This is more helpful than claiming to provide “completely flexible childcare” when staffing and occupancy limits still apply.
Keep temporary changes separate from permanent hours
Nurseries occasionally change their hours because of severe weather, maintenance, staff training or another exceptional event. Do not replace the permanent opening-hour information with a temporary announcement and then forget to change it back.
Keep the standard hours visible and add a clearly dated notice for the temporary change:
“Tuesday 14 January: the nursery will open at 9am because of severe weather. Our normal opening time is 7.30am.”
Urgent changes should also be communicated directly to affected families using the nursery’s usual messaging system. Updating the website alone is unlikely to be sufficient.
Remove expired notices promptly. A parent visiting the website in June should not be greeted by an announcement about Christmas opening hours.
If the nursery is permanently changing its hours, update every relevant page at the same time and give existing families the notice required by their contracts.
Check that hours agree across every platform
Parents may encounter the nursery through a search engine, social media profile, local authority directory or childcare platform before visiting its website.
Conflicting information creates uncertainty. If Google shows a 6pm closing time but the nursery website says 5.30pm, a parent may not know which source to trust.
Review opening hours on:
- The nursery website
- Google Business Profile
- Social media accounts
- Local authority childcare listings
- Childcare directories
- Online booking or enquiry pages
- Downloadable prospectuses and fee sheets
Remember that some platforms use business hours to indicate when the office answers calls, while parents may interpret them as the hours children can attend. Add an explanation where the platform permits it.
Our guide to keeping a nursery profile accurate and useful offers a broader checklist for maintaining consistent information across different listings.
Make the information easy to read on a phone
Many parents search for childcare on a mobile phone, often while travelling, working or caring for a child. Opening hours need to be readable without zooming into a PDF or navigating a complicated timetable.
Use ordinary webpage text wherever possible. A simple table can work well, provided it adapts properly to a narrow screen.
Avoid publishing essential information only as:
- An image containing small text
- A downloadable brochure
- A social media post
- A frequently asked question hidden inside a closed menu
- A hover effect that does not work on a touchscreen
Place a telephone number or enquiry button close to the hours so parents can ask about availability. If you use an enquiry form, request the child’s age, preferred start date, required days and approximate arrival and collection times.
This gives the nursery enough information to provide a useful first response rather than starting another long exchange of questions.
Use examples to answer common scheduling questions
Some attendance arrangements are easier to understand through examples than through policy language.
For instance:
“A family needing care from 8am to 5.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday would book three full-day sessions. If eligible, funded hours may be applied to part of those sessions, with additional care and meals charged separately.”
Another example might explain a stretched offer:
“A child using funding throughout our 51-week opening year receives fewer funded hours in an average week than a child using the entitlement over 38 term-time weeks.”
Examples should illustrate the arrangement rather than promise that a place is available. Include a reminder that attendance patterns must be confirmed with the nursery.
Before registration, give each family a written schedule and cost illustration showing:
- The child’s booked days
- Arrival and collection times
- Funded hours applied
- Chargeable sessions or additional time
- Meals and other regular charges
- The nursery’s annual closure dates
This allows the parent and provider to identify any misunderstanding before the child starts.
Review opening-hour information regularly
Opening hours may remain unchanged for years, which makes them easy to overlook during website reviews. However, session structures, funding arrangements and holiday closures can change even when the main daily times stay the same.
Check the information at least once each term and whenever:
- Opening or closing times change
- A new session is introduced
- Fees are updated
- Funded-hour arrangements change
- The annual calendar is confirmed
- A room begins operating different hours
Add a review date to the page, such as “Opening hours reviewed September 2026”. This reassures parents that the information has not simply remained untouched for several years.
Someone who understands the nursery’s bookings should check the wording. Website designers and external marketing teams may present the information attractively without noticing that the hours do not accurately reflect the sessions families can purchase.
Opening hours are also one of the first details parents expect to find online. Our article on what parents look for first on a nursery website covers the other practical and emotional questions that a setting should answer.
Frequently asked questions
Where should nursery opening hours appear on a website?
Display the main hours prominently on the homepage and contact page. They can also appear in the website footer. Detailed session, funding and closure information should be available through a clearly labelled fees or attendance page.
Should a nursery list its hours for every day?
If the hours are identical from Monday to Friday, one clear statement may be enough. List each day separately if opening or closing times vary, or if the nursery does not operate every weekday.
What is the difference between opening hours and session times?
Opening hours show the full period during which the nursery operates. Session times show the attendance blocks that families can book, such as a morning, afternoon, school day or full day.
Should funded-session times be published?
Yes. Parents need to understand when funded hours can normally be used and whether longer attendance creates additional charges. Make clear that funded places and particular schedules remain subject to availability.
What does “open all year” mean?
The phrase usually means that the nursery operates beyond school terms, but it may still close on bank holidays, during Christmas or on training days. State the number of opening weeks and explain the usual closures.
Should bank-holiday closures be shown online?
Yes. Parents should know whether the nursery closes on bank holidays and whether fees remain payable. Publish the specific dates once the annual calendar has been confirmed.
How should a nursery describe flexible hours?
Explain exactly what parents can vary, how much notice they must provide and whether requests depend on availability. Avoid using “flexible” as a general marketing term without describing the limits.
Should early drop-offs and late collections be included?
Include them if they are available. Give the times, price, booking requirements and what is provided. If the nursery does not accept children before its normal opening time, state this clearly.
How often should online opening hours be checked?
Review them at least once each term and immediately after any operational change. Check the website, search listings, social profiles, directories and downloadable documents at the same time.
What if exact availability changes frequently?
Opening hours can still be published even when places change daily. Explain that attendance during those hours is subject to availability and ask parents to submit their required days, times and start date.
Clear nursery opening hours do more than tell parents when the doors open. They show how the service works in practice.
Families need to understand the daily times, available sessions, annual closures, funded-hour arrangements and any charges for care outside standard sessions. When these details are consistent and easy to find, parents can make more relevant enquiries and begin the relationship with realistic expectations.
